Charles McCurdy
Chairman & CEO of Apprise Media, LLC
Charles G. McCurdy is Chairman and CEO of Apprise Media LLC, which he
founded in January 2004, and Chairman and CEO of its Canon Communications
LLC unit.
McCurdy has more than 25 years of experience in managing and investing in
niche media, information and education companies. Under the Apprise
umbrella, he has led the acquisition and development of three platform
companies. Canon Communications is a leading B-to-B company active in trade
shows, magazines, and digital media. The Beckett Media LP and Action Pursuit
Group LLC units, which together form Apprise Enthusiast Media, cover various
special interest consumer niches through magazines, live events, and digital
media.
As a co-founder, President and Director of PRIMEDIA Inc. (NYSE: PRM), he
oversaw the acquisition, development, and build-up of more than 20 platform
niche media companies. He engineered the company's entrance into a broad
range of niche media businesses, including enthusiast and
business-to-business magazines, consumer guides, specialty video,
supplemental educational publishing, and their related online and digital
media activities. McCurdy pioneered the practice of the leveraged build-up
in the niche media and information sector through the 1990's. He developed
and helped implement the strategy of growing niche media businesses by
surrounding their markets with print, live events, and digital products. He
successfully led the raising of more than $9 billion in debt and equity
financings.
Prior to launching PRIMEDIA, McCurdy was the top finance and development
executive at Macmillan Inc., the educational and professional book publisher
and business-to-business information services provider. He started his
publishing career as an editor.
McCurdy is a member of the Board of American Business Media and the Chair of
its Marketing Committee. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Society
of Independent Show Organizers. He received an MBA from Columbia and his BA
from Yale, Magna Cum Laude.